Question

Read the extract from ‘Julius Caesar’ Act 3, Scene 1, given below and answer the questions that follow:

Antony:	Pardon me, Julius! Here wast thou bay’d, brave hart; Here didst thou fall; and here thy hunters stand, Sign’d in thy spoil, and crimson’d in thy lethe.  O world, thou wast the forest to this hart: And this indeed, O world, the heart of theе. How like a deer, strucken by many princes, Dost thou here lie!
Cassius:	Mark Antony –
Antony:	Pardon me, Caius Cassius: The enemies of Caesar shall say this: Then, in a friend, it is cold modesty.

1. Why does Antony say, ‘Pardon me, Julius!’?  [3]
2. Where was Caesar ‘bay’d’?  [3]
   Explain the meaning of the words, ‘Here wast thou bay’d, brave heart:’
3. Name any two of the ‘hunters’ who were present at the scene.  [3]
   Why are they described as being, ‘sign’d’ and crimson‘d’?
4. What does Cassius ask Antony immediately after this exchange?  [3]
   How does Antony respond to his question?
5. What request does Antony make to Brutus a little later in the scene?  [4]
   Who warns Brutus against granting this request?
   What reason does this person give for doing so?
   What does this tell us about this person’s character?

Answer 1

1. “Pardon me, Julius!” is Antony’s way of expressing his sorrow and showing Caesar respect. He acknowledges his friend’s passing and excuses himself for talking over his dead body.
2. The metaphor “bay’d” compares Caesar to a hunted deer trapped by hunters after he was cornered and attacked by the conspirators.
   Using a hunting metaphor, Antony compares Caesar to a noble deer (a pun on “hart” and “heart”) that was caught with no way out and surrounded by barking dogs (the conspirators).
3. Two conspirators who attacked Caesar were Brutus and Cassius.
   They are described this way because they are marked by Caesar’s blood - “sign’d” with evidence of their attack, and “crimson’d” by the blood they shed in killing him.
4. Cassius tests Antony’s intentions by asking him to talk calmly and avoid causing trouble for the crowd.
   In a polite and modest reply, Antony states that although Caesar’s enemies might take his comments one way, as a friend, he speaks with respectful grief and will not come across as arrogant or spiteful.
5. In order to honour Caesar and address the people, Antony asks for permission to speak at Caesar’s funeral.
   Brutus is warned by Cassius not to let Antony speak.
   Cassius worries that if Antony speaks, the crowd may turn against the conspirators and spark a revolt.
   This shows Cassius’s caution, political expertise, and self-preservation concerns as he strategically considers the implications of Antony’s statement.